


Brother

by OneOddKitteh



Series: Sweet Not Salty [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Brother-Sister Relationships, Gabriel's POV, Gen, Heavy Angst, Hurt Gabriel, The battle of heaven, the fall of lucifer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-17
Updated: 2014-08-17
Packaged: 2018-02-13 12:35:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2150916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OneOddKitteh/pseuds/OneOddKitteh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Like many of the older angels, Gabriel is a war veteran. This is the story of his own battle.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Brother

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Aria_Lerendeair](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aria_Lerendeair/gifts).



> I'm so sorry, Aria.

Brothers and sisters turning on each other. The great war, the battle to regain a control that Gabriel had never wanted. Gabriel’s decision was made for him when he cradled Cassiel in his grace on the battlefield. There were no last words, no choked whimpers, because that wasn’t how angels died. There was just the death of presence, the slow fading of energy. Her seemingly endless energy and peals of joyful laughter. Never again. Gabriel paused amongst the fighting, and couldn’t continue.

_Brother_

A fleeting touch of Raphael’s grieved grace against his bought no comfort. He couldn’t bring himself to let go of Cassiel’s energy until it was gone, dissipated into the heavens around them. Before his own scream cut off, Gabriel flew. He never knew how the battle paused for full seconds, his cry so loud that his grief touched both sides of the conflict. Gabriel could only feel, feel the way the soldiers weren’t allowed to, feel the way he heard humanity felt now they’d been introduced to reason.

_Brother_

Gabriel could have fled to the ends of the universe, far away from the conflict. Instead, in his pain, he found himself on earth. He hid, deep below the surface in a cavern so fiery it warmed like the touch of grace on his. Happier times played before his eyes, Lucifer’s playful nudges and teaching of tricks, Raphael’s tender healing of broken animals on earth, Michael’s laughter echoing through the rocks. Cassiel’s determination to learn the gentle touch of a human when petting the rabbits she’d found in a meadow. Flowers springing from underneath Lucifer’s feet as he walked.

_Brother._

Gabriel created himself a vessel, hiding among humanity, watching them with a wary bitterness nobody could see under the smiles of a jester. He couldn’t stay with them forever, but he couldn’t stay away. The stubborn pride of his father’s creations reminded him of Lucifer. The gentleness of mothers reminded him of Cassiel, the practitioners of medicine seemed ever so much like Raphael. Reminders of his family were everywhere, inescapable. Gabriel didn’t want to leave.

_Brother_

The cry rang through the universes. “The Battle is won. The Morningstar has been caged.” Gabriel screamed, voice shattering instruments around him, human ears bleeding, his voice sending an unending siren of anguish throughout the heavens. He tore at his own grace, tore at the ground under him until a great valley was formed. Finally, he lay silently, alone. Bodies lay around him, the lashing out of his energy so powerful that he’d slain them all.

_Brother_

When Gabriel faced Lucifer again, after so long, he hid his grief easily. There was only one end, one way it could go. He couldn’t kill the Morningstar. Lucifer’s grace comforted him, held him as he faded into nothingness. His last cry, the aching relief of peace beckoning:

_Brother_

Gabriel was dragged back into the world, kicking and screaming the whole way. An impossible request, fulfilled.

 “Brother,” Gabriel sobbed, the unending cry of millennia past. He cradled Lucifer’s empty vessel in his arms until they forced him away. “ _Brother._ ”

**Author's Note:**

> get my fics quicker at oneoddkitteh.tumblr.com


End file.
